I didn’t know a great deal about Cammy Barnes before seeing him perform in the Empress Ballroom at The British Country Music Festival, but by the end of his set, he had firmly established himself as one of the highlights of the weekend.

Barnes’ style is a distinctive crossover of “Celtic Soul” and modern country, blending traditional Scottish folk influences with the energy of Nashville country-pop. Having trained as a traditional bagpiper before launching his vocal career, he incorporates the pipes heavily into his music, creating an anthemic sound that sets him apart from many other UK country acts.

Vocally, he has a gritty, raw and deeply emotional delivery, drawing on the storytelling traditions of both folk and country. At times, his vocals sound like a kind of Scottish Zac Brown, with that same earthy, soulful quality and ability to switch between softer, intimate passages and big, powerful choruses.

He kicked off his set with “Highland Runaway”, immediately making a statement with a pounding, driving country-pop rhythm section reminiscent of stadium country acts. There was a real Mumford & Sons energy to it, with the track progressively layering instruments until it erupted into a massive, foot-stomping finish driven by a pounding rhythmic kick drum. It is also one of his top-streamed songs on Spotify, and it proved to be a great way to open the show.

After the song he said, “How you doing Blackpool?” in his unmistakable Scottish twang.

Next came “Road Ahead”, which began with a hushed, introspective storytelling tone over a stripped-back melody. As the rhythm section kicked in, his vocals ramped up into an urgent, gravelly and anthemic belt during the chorus.

“We are so excited to be here. We are headlining The British Country Music Festival, I’m so happy”

“I’m from a place called the kingdom of Fife, and I’m Scottish, and I love country music, and I love folk music, and I love rock music”

He then launched into “Pipes Of Home”. The track builds with acoustic guitar before the great Highland bagpipes erupt into the melody. This was the first time he showcased his bagpipes during the set, and it created one of the biggest peaks of the night. I think it blew a few people’s minds in the crowd too.

At the end, he got the audience singing, “Do not fear when you hear the pipes of home”, before adding, “you’re a beautiful audience”.

Before launching into the next song, he said:

“Blackpool, I bet you didn’t expect a tall handsome, ripped, six foot Scottish lad to be here”

At the start of the next song, he taught the audience the words to “we lift this curse together”, with the crowd singing it back throughout his new song “Curse”. It definitely had a memorable hook to it.

He also spoke about his journey, saying, “I've been living my dream” as he described going from playing small venues to performing at much bigger events this year.

Next came “Beauty In The Streets”, another great song with a gentle acoustic buildup that gradually progresses into an infectious folk-pop track. It blends traditional Scottish storytelling warmth with a modern, stadium-style anthemic structure.

The intimate intro opens quietly, focusing on sparse acoustic guitar strumming and Cammy’s raw, close-mic’d vocal. It creates an immediate, personal connection, almost like a busker playing directly to you on a street corner.

As the song progresses, a driving kick drum and bassline pulse enter. The rhythm mimics a heartbeat.

His next song was dedicated to his young daughter. “becoming a father is the best f**kn thing in the world” he said.

“Bonnie’s Song” was performed as a deeply emotional, stripped-back acoustic ballad. It was another great track, giving definite Lewis Capaldi vibes, and provided a welcome break in the set.

Next he said, “I’m going to try a new song tonight”, explaining to the audience that he’d brought some notes to read because he might not be able to remember all the lyrics.

“I know the chorus, obviously,” he added.

He then went into “Something More”, another anthemic, uplifting song. At the end he asked, “do you think that’s a good song”?

The next song was something particularly special for the Empress Ballroom performance. He invited Bronnie, Katy Hurt and Susannah Clegg to the stage for “As Far As You Could” by Lady A’s Charles Kelley.

Midway through the gentle, piano-driven ballad, they went unplugged off the microphones, bringing their combined voices together to ring through the ballroom for the chorus. It sounded awesome, and was one of those moments that felt especially suited to the setting.

Next came a country-styled number featuring his soaring vocals. It provided a steady change of pace before he moved into the next big moment of the set.

“Blackpool, do you want some bagpipes?” he said before launching into one of his most popular tracks, “Let Me Down”.

This is a song where I particularly like the melodic instrumental hook that comes after the bagpipes finish, just before the next verse comes in with “I can feel forever in my heart”. It is a great little musical moment within the track.

Next came “Take Me To My Home From Home”, another big singalong anthem seemingly designed for arenas and large crowds.

After that, he got things moving with “Baby It’s Just You And Me”, prompting a huge clap-along from the audience. The lively song brought pace to the dancefloor and showed another side to his live performance.

He then finished on “Whiskey Roll”, his most streamed and popular song. It is a high-energy anthem defined by its fusion of Scottish folk traditions and country music, and the foot-stomping track is a serious tune.

The way he blows the bagpipes before blasting into the verses is seriously impressive. This song made way for a huge finale and brought the set to a suitably raucous conclusion.

For me, Cammy Barnes was the highlight of The British Country Music Festival, and I would seriously recommend seeing his show. It was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, and I think his music and live performance could appeal to a diverse range of people who might not necessarily listen to this type of music ordinarily.

I went into the show not knowing a great deal about Cammy Barnes. I came out understanding exactly why he is making such an impression.

Author: Andrew Braithwaite

Andrew is the founder and chief editor of Music Talkers. He's also a keen music enthusiast and plays the guitar.